Authorities have filed juvenile charges against a 14-year-old boy for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl that was carried on Facebook Live, and are seeking the arrest of a 15-year-old boy in connection with the crime, police said Sunday.
Police are trying to identify others who took part in the assault, officials said, but the investigation has been complicated by the trauma experienced by the victim.
The boy was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, manufacture of child pornography and dissemination of child pornography, all of which are felonies, police said.
One boy had been taken into custody earlier in the investigation, according to a source, but not immediately charged.
“She’s just having such a difficult time even communicating what occurred to her,” said Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan during a late-morning press conference at Chicago police headquarters. “We obviously have a video of the incident, so we have verifiable objective evidence of what occurred to this young lady, but she’s just having a very difficult time.
“On top of it, there’s constant social media … bullying (of the victim), making fun of what occurred,’’ Deenihan said. “This is just a very traumatic incident.”
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson also delivered brief comments and reacted to a question about why no one watching the video on Facebook Live called the police.
After Facebook Live attack, girl becomes target of threats, taunts Heather Schroering
Her 15-year-old daughter was still missing when the mother said she saw screenshots of her bright, ambitious girl being sexually assaulted by as many as six people on Facebook Live.
It would be another day before her daughter was found, wandering the streets just four blocks from her Lawndale home.
…
Her 15-year-old daughter was still missing when the mother said she saw screenshots of her bright, ambitious girl being sexually assaulted by as many as six people on Facebook Live.
It would be another day before her daughter was found, wandering the streets just four blocks from her Lawndale home.
… (Heather Schroering)
“We’ve seen a couple acts in this city now in the last few months involving social media, and it just disgusts me that people could look at those videos and not pick up the phone and dial 911," he said "It makes wonder where are we going, what are we doing as a society?”
The girl had stayed over with family the evening of March 18 and gone to church with them the next day, then was dropped off near home before disappearing until being found March 21. Sometime during the time she was missing, she was sexually assaulted. In the Facebook Live recording — which had as many as 40 viewers at one point — the girl was sexually assaulted by as many as six attackers.
The girl was reunited with her mother and taken to a hospital, where she was examined for injuries, a family member later told the Tribune.
Since the assault was reported and police began looking for suspects, the girl’s family has been relocated with the help of authorities because of threats and taunts.
Mother of sex assault victim speaks out
With her identity obscured, the mother of 15-year-old female sexual assault victim speaks out on March 22, 2017. The assault was captured on Facebook Live video. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
With her identity obscured, the mother of 15-year-old female sexual assault victim speaks out on March 22, 2017. The assault was captured on Facebook Live video. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
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The girl’s relative Reginald King said a teenager alerted him to the assault on Facebook Live. “This is one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen a kid do," King said. "There were adults who saw this. None of them had the wherewithal to say, ‘Hey, I gotta call someone.’ ”
Chicago activist Andrew Holmes got the video to police, and the girl’s mother was shown screen shots and was able to identify her daughter.
The girl’s mother ran into Johnson at the Ogden District station, and Johnson took an immediate interest in the case, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
Police also contacted Facebook, and the video was taken down.
The attack was at least the fourth Chicago crime caught on Facebook Live since the end of October.
After one of the previous attacks — in which a mentally disabled man was tormented and tortured by a group of people — the company said it does not allow people "to celebrate or glorify crimes" on its network.
Check back for updates.
Earlier versions of this story gave incorrect dates for when the girl disappeared and was located.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
